You get far enough North, and Summer Solstice (the lightest day of the year) really means something. Mainly, it means that it’s light before 5 am, and doesn’t get really dark ’til around 10.

And, finally, today it was warm enough — even at 7am — to go riding in shorts and a short-sleeve jersey. Only those who bike commute every day can appreciate what this means: I didn’t have to wear my cold-weather bike clothes for the ride in while packing my warm-weather bike clothes for the ride home. As a bonus, it’s now warm enough that I’m wearing shorts and a t-shirt to work, which further reduces messenger bag bulk — it felt practically empty for my ride in today.

In short (and for once, today’s entry will be short, because I’m on deadline) between me being a few pounds lighter, my messenger bag being a few pounds lighter, and not having the extra bulk/constraint of tights and a long sleeve jersey, I felt like I flew up the hills on this morning’s ride, and motored on the flats at what seemed like double my usual rate (but was probably more like 1 – 1.5mph faster).

Today’s weight: 174.8. No big surprise to the weight gain here. I was stupid-dehydrated for the weigh-in yesterday so I could make weight. Plus, I pigged out on pizza last night. ‘Course, I’m now in the scary position of needing to lose ~3lbs by next Monday. Please pass the grapefruit and lemon-water (thanks to Matt Chester for the lemon-water tip; worked like a charm)….

My messenger bag is great — I’ve had it for about 5 years and it’s perfect for commuting. It’s a Timbuk2 (www.timbuk2.com) Classic Messenger. This bag holds everything I need to get to work and back, with a few pockets to make it easy to get to my phone, wallet, or company badge. Some people prefer backpacks or panniers, but I like the way the messenger bag stays put, and my back doesn’t get sore with it like it does with a backpack. It’s got a waterproof lining so even when it’s raining hard, my clothes arrive dry at work. It seems to do fine with going through the washer and dryer, too. And it’s got a little strap on the back you can clip a blinking light on, which I do during the dark months. Anything to stay visible, you know?Dug, I put lemon juice in the water because then I drink more. Ie, I like the way it tastes. Matt Chester says it also helps you reduce the sodium level in your body — ie, it makes you pee more and get rid of some of that water weight before an important weigh-in.

i hate lemon water. i would probably drink less, rather than more, if it was lemon water.i have a messenger bag. for 5 years i’ve used it to lug shit to church. used it to ride into work today. which is a better use, and makes the bag happier. it’s a timbuk2 bag, i like it. i won it at the second annual 24 hours of moab, when me, brad, doug rock, and jeremy won the men’s sport division. only useful thing i ever won at a race.